Griffonian Empire
The Griffonian Empire, once stretching across most of Griffonia, has long been known as the Sick Bird of Griffonia. Revolution and corruption took hold of the empire and its vast lands, breaking it apart. Today, the Empire is left with nothing but a fraction of its territory, filled with dissatisfied nobles and commoners. The current Emperor, Grover V, is not expected to have long left until death claims his life, and with his only heir to the throne being underage, the Empire is soon to face crisis yet again. Will internal conflict shatter it once and for all? Or can imperial glory be reclaimed? Lore Grover I, the First Emperor Since time immemorial, Griffons have fought for wealth and power, with no king or country strong enough to unite the others. However, in 705 ALB, Grover, '''King of used the ''Idol of Boreas'', an artifact of incredible power, to defeat the two most powerful Kingdoms on Griffonia - and . Their submission to this Emperor (or ''Kaiser) ''quickly prompted the rest of the continent to follow. '''Grover I, '''as he would become known, had achieved the impossible and united the griffons under a single leader, creating a dynasty that would last 300 years. He then drove the minotaurs of off the Griffonian mainland, shattering their empire. Griffenheim and the Guto Dynasty Though the Empire was unchallenged, the primitive technology and magic made direct administration over distances difficult, and the Empire relied on the loyalty of kings and local lords who ruled semi-autonomously. Grover I moved the capital of the Empire from the to the city of '''Griffenheim, which sat at the intersection of 3 critical rivers, using its location to collect taxation and profit from trade. His descendent, Grover II, occupied with administration of the sprawling empire, passed rulership of Griffonstone and the Idol of Boreas to his brother Guto, '''who faithfully guarded it. This arrangement between the Grover and Guto dynasties was successful for many generations. The Empire and The Ponies The Grover dynasty ruled a loose collection of upstart kingdoms. Such an Empire needed an enemy, and they found it in the ponies who controlled the eastern half of Griffonia. Unlike in , where Luna and Celestia ruled, Griffonian ponies did not have the unity or power of an alicorn kingdom. Grover II declared a campaign against the ponies, pushing into the underdeveloped lands of east and central Griffonia. Mass displacement and massacres were common on both sides as territories changed hands, but the Griffons saw great success over the centuries, conquering the lands that are now , , , , and . Some of these states became Griffon Knightly orders, blessed by the Emperor and Archons, entrusted with being the front line of the Empire, leading, recruiting and fighting the crusade in the east. The ponies were not without strength however, and repeated losses prompted the creation of the 898 ALB '''Treaty of Coltstream - an attack on one pony nation was an attack on all, and this alliance of the east became known as the River Federation. Meanwhile, to the west, the Empire remained at peace with the Equestrian colony of , who enjoyed the protection of their mother nation. Griffonia eventually copied their success, founding a colony in northern Equestria - . The Archons and the Empire Griffons have always been religious, and the three core gods Boreas, Arcturus and Eyr are widely worshipped. The centralisation of the Empire saw religion and state intertwine, as the three orders headquartered near or in Griffenheim, claiming a divine mandate for the Grover Dynasty's rule. Today, the three Archons (High Preists) are * Eros VII - Archon of Boreas, the most powerful of the Gods. Eros was born at the height of the Empire's power, and remained a faithful servant of Empire and Gods. He rescued Grover V from revolutionaries, and has developed a burning hatred for the nobility for its role in the Empire's decline. He is based in Griffinheim *Erion XII - Archon of Eyr, the god of fertility and agriculture. Erion is a zealous, charismatic militant who resides in Romua. *Proteus III - Archon of Arcturus, Proteous is a crusading knight based out of Katerinsburg. He is friendly to the good and unsparing to the unholy creations of the night. Popular with both the people and the military, Proteous is less popular with his own priesthood due to his neglect of administrative and other leadership duties. The Death of Grover IV and the Loss of the Idol Grover IV unexpectedly died of a stroke, leaving his sickly ten year old son as the heir. Guto VI was to be the regent, but bad went to worse, as a monstrous cyclops attacked Griffonstone, slew Guto VI and stole the idol. Although Griffonstone's army successfully slew the beast, it fell into the vast abyss below the cliffs of Griffonstone, and the idol was lost with it. The Empire's fortunes only grew worse in the coming years - some griffons blame the failure of the Grover bloodline, others the loss of the Idol, and others still the hand of the dark god Maar. The death of Guto VI left the heir guided by a Regency Council of nobles. Corruption, decadence and mismanagement reigned as nobles attempted to use their power for personal gain. The proud bureaucracy was left to decay, and the Empire's role in preserving the peace faded as nobles and kingdoms feuded more and more openly. Meanwhile, the regency dragged on, as the young Emperor’s frail nature prevented him ascending. Collapse of the Empire Chaos, mismanagement, and conspiracy converged in 978 ALB, as hundreds of thousands of commoners marched on Imperial Palace. While the Emperor managed to escape to the countryside unharmed, many members of the Regency Council were lynched - those unlucky few who didn’t manage to flee to their own lands. An Imperial Officer named Kemerskai, declared his loyalty to the revolution and crowned himself President-Marshal of the new (and short lived) . Many nobles saw a chance to finally break free of the Empire’s grasp. The first to leave was the , led by King Garibald Talonuel III, with their southern allies and client states following shortly afterwards. The , followed quickly after, led by King Gerad Discret. Just as the their submission marked the beginning of the Empire, so did their departure mark its end as others followed suit. Some countries formally seceded, whilst others simply began ignoring Imperial edicts even as they mouthed words of loyalty. Counter-Revolution and Chaos The was short lived, falling to a counter-revolution was in ALB 979, resulting in the exile of the republican supporters to the far north of the Empire, and the restoration of Grover V to the throne. Despite the Emperor once again on the Imperial Throne, the damage had already been done, as much of the country was in utter chaos. Out of the many lords, princes and kings of Griffonia only those in the Imperial Heartlands remained loyal to the young Emperor - and even that could be considered a stretch, as they maintained almost complete autonomy from the capital. The lands of former Empire descended into an orgy of violence, bloodshed and destruction for nearly thirty years, as local powers rushed to fill the vacuum and attempt to create their own empires and kingdoms. Civil wars, border conflicts, widespread banditry, and the clash of kings and lords led to millions upon millions dead, uncountable amounts of orphans, and complete economic and societal collapse. Shadows of the Empire The chaos has begun to calm, as borders have settled and war weary griffons return to farmsteads, if only to avoid starvation. Scholars predict that soon a new wave of centralisation and wars are to be expected in coming years, as the most powerful recovering states snap up local neighbours and formalise a post Empire world. The old Empire the world once knew is now long dead. The sickly Grover V is growing old, and seems set to repeat his father's tragedy, as his son is still too young to rule. Hoping to avoid another disastrous regency, the powers of the Empire are determined to unite behind a single regent with the powers of an Emperor. The three orders of Archons are sure to press the claim of Archon Eros VII of Boreas (the most powerful of the three gods), backed by popular mandate, but so are the nobility, who would prefer Duchess Gabriela, '''Grover's cousin and closest and most trusted friend to ensure an orderly transition that prefers the status quo in the recovery. Despite the Empire's sad state, the idea of a united Griffonia still resonates deep within the hearts of every Griffon. Be wary, for there are many who will fight tooth and nail to make sure that the dream of a united Griffonia comes to pass once more, but there are many more who shall ensure this dream remains just that - a dream... Gameplay and Focus Tree Griffonia's potential is built around it's expansionist tree, which takes time to get through and can only be started once the Emperor dies. The key dates are listed below. Death of the Emperor and Selection of a New Regent After 72 days, the Emperor will die. will break free, their bandit agreement with the Emperor having ended. The Regency Council will convene to elect the regent for the underage Grover VI. '''Archon Eros VII, faithful priest and hater of the nobility, is the Fascist aligned candidate, and Duchess Gabriella Eagleclaw, cousin to Grover V, is the Non-Aligned candidate. The first decision is regarding voting rights for selecting the Regent. Either decision may be selected without locking down a candiate - allowing the commoners gives more stability. Following that, the Industrial Modernisation Effort ''will modernise the society at the cost of PE Cap and Output Penalties. The player must then choose - Maintain the rights of the Nobility (Duchess) or the expand rights to the commoners (Archon), committing you to a candidate. '''Archon - '''The Archon will become regent. The north-western half of the Empire ( , , , ), led by the Duchess, will secede in protest. '''Duchess' - The Duchess will become regent. The south-eastern half of the Empire( , , , ), led by the Archon, will secede in protest. The Strawberry Duchy will join a personal union under the Empire. At some point later in the game may offer a marriage proposal. Accepting will cause Feathisia to auto annex both and , ending the game. Reforming the Empire and Integrating the Vassals Regardless of the path, the regent must reform the Empire, and integrate the vassals that have remained in the Empire. The vassals will likely accept under AI, and those that don't will grant a war goal. The bonuses are as follows. Conquering the Breakaways Having integrated the vassals, the next path is as follows. * Conquer the seceded states (Archon - Romau Proclamation. Duchess - Deal with the Traitors), who will typically have formed a faction to defend against you * Archon Only -'' Demand , or gain a wargoal if it refuses. This is a very factory rich nation with a strong fleet and will considerably boost your power. * Finish the ''Reclaim the North Focus - ''this will grant your first wargoal against former territories of the Griffonian Empire, beginning your path to reclaim the entire continent. The Continental Conquest The Griffonian Empire provides an extremely generous set of wargoals, along with cores to support it, providing you with immense manpower. Should another nation defeat you and take Grifenheim, they may take the claim of Emperor, and receive those cores. Naturally, every griffon nation on the continent will be scrambling to take you down. Your key rivals are as follows. * - the democratic pretender to the Empire, they are one of your weakest opponents, and you gain a wargoal typically before they can ally with other nations such as Aquileia. Take them down swiftly. * - This is a very factory rich nation with a strong fleet and will considerably boost your power. If you are the Archon you should have already taken it, however as the Duchess Skyfall may have joined with Aquileia, providing a much harder fight. * - Your first true challenger, Aquileia is a powerful nation that will have reclaimed its traditional lands and is likely Harmonic, though can go Communist or Fascist. Depending on their alignment, they can reach out and form factions with any of your other enemies. Should the revolution succeed disgruntled nationalist ''Marshal Léonard Rodier ''will reach out to you and offer his services as a leader against Aquileia. If you conquer it he will request to be allowed to rule it as a puppet under you. * - This Communist state will likely overextend early on, and you (and ) will be offered a chance to invade as soon as they attempt to take . Overpower their growing forces quickly to gain a good source of industry and deny it to . Should you neighbour Wingbardy whilst both at war with Prywhen, you will receive an option to declare war on Wingbardy immediately. * - the strongest rival on the continent, especially if they go Communist. Gaining power through expansion faster than they can match you will ensure your victory. Should have survived and defeated the they will be in a position to be guaranteeing many Griffonian states, making your expansion much more difficult and bogging you into permanent war. Keep your coastlines protected, eliminate Harmonic states as soon as possible, and remember that if is still loyal to Equestria they will be able to land troops there. Emperor Grover VI Should you have brought the Griffonian Empire through its struggles, the new Emperor, Grover VI, will ascend to the throne in the year 1021. Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah! Technology Politics National spirits Leaders Staff and Designers These are the ministers and design companies available for the Griffonian Empire at the start of the game. '''Political Advisor' Tank Designers Ship Designers Aircraft Designer Materiel Designer Industrial Concern Theorist Economy Laws and Development Industry and Resources *All values are the amounts extracted INCLUDING effects of negative Industrial Ideas (agrarian society, etc) and National Spirits. Military Advisers Chief of Army Chief of Navy Chief of Airforce Military High Command Category:Countries